


Hero Worship

by bluestargirl6 (pressdbtwnpages)



Category: The OC
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-02-12
Updated: 2005-02-12
Packaged: 2017-10-04 14:37:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pressdbtwnpages/pseuds/bluestargirl6
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for <a href="http://questioninggirl.livejournal.com/profile"><img/></a><a href="http://questioninggirl.livejournal.com/"><b>questioninggirl</b></a></p>
    </blockquote>





	Hero Worship

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [](http://questioninggirl.livejournal.com/profile)[**questioninggirl**](http://questioninggirl.livejournal.com/)

Summer's not the kind of chick who needs a hero, or a rescue of any kind. She can handle stuff on her own. She _likes_ handling things on her own. It's easier when the only one who can disappoint you is you.

So it's actually kind of disappointing when Ryan pulls up in the Cohen's Range Rover just as she's dialing the number into her cell phone.

"Need a hand?" He asks, kind of leaning out the window.

"No."

"Summer. You're pulled over to the side of the road and your car has thick black smoke coming from under the hood."

She shrugs, disinterestedly. "I have triple-A."

Ryan sighs and leans back into the car, driving off. Cheering her minor victory over Chino, Summer holds up the phone to her and gives the idiot who answers directions to her car and describes the problem. She fumes, wondering why her father refuses to just get her OnStar. _They_ don't need directions.

The debacle with the AAA lady only takes a few seconds and when Summer looks up she sees the Range Rover parked behind her sports car, and Ryan lounging against it.

She holds a hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun and furrows her brow at Ryan.

"Can I wait with you?" he asks.

"What_ever_." Secretly though, Summer is a tiny bit, just a tiny bit, relieved. Tow-truck guys can be skuzzy, and while Summer can totally, totally take care of herself, tow-truck guy definitely won't hassle her if Chino's here.

Ryan ambles over to her. "So…"

"So… what?"

"I'm just trying to make conversation. Since we're stuck here we may as well do something."

"_We_ aren't stuck. I'm stuck," Summer snaps. "Go home."

"Summer," Ryan sighs. "Why won't you let anyone help you?"

"Because I don't _need_ help, Chino."

"Riiight. Okay, you don't. But, wouldn't it be nice to not have to save the day yourself for once?"

"I wouldn't know. It's never happened." Summer doesn't mean to sound so weak and sad when she says it. She meant to sound bitchy and cynical. But no, Ryan's looking at her with those sad, tired eyes. He scoots a little closer to her.

"Ryan, go home," but this time she says it nicely.

"Why?"

Summer bites her lip and struggles to put her thought into words. "Wouldn't it be nice to not have to save the day for once?"

She has no idea if that makes sense, if what she is trying to say is clear to Ryan.

Ryan smiles at her, a genuine grin that makes his eyes crinkle. He leans over and kisses her unexpectedly. It's just a chaste little kiss but it came out of nowhere.

Summer watches him curiously and waits for him to explain himself.

"I… just… no one has ever asked me that before. I don't think anyone's ever noticed."

Tears spring unexpectedly to Summer's eyes.

"We notice Chino," she assures him, "we're just not very good at saying thank you."


End file.
